Land for services?

One of the main themes of this week was sustainable development.  A term that is so important but certainly overused and misunderstood a lot of the time.  The problem with buzz words is that people just throw them in wherever it seems appropriate.

So many people showed up for the meeting it had to be held outside

Sustainable development is a huge and hot topic on the Wild Coast right now as the mining issue seems to have reared its ugly head again.  Honestly, before I go any further I have to say that the whole thing makes me feel sick.  The idea of this coast being mined and this community being destroyed is so far out of the realm of acceptabele or reasonable that it makes my head spin and my heart hurt.  Like throb hurt.  Anyhow, in the past week, the issue has been put back on the table.  As far as we all (and the community) knew, the mining rights had been revoked and the main issue right now was the threat of this toll road that they want to build right through the communities.  But just this past week there was very suddenly an announcement made that there would be a public participation meeting to discuss prospecting rights for one of the five blocks of potentially minable areas along the coast.  What was shocking to learn is that the prospecting for the other four blocks is actually going ahead without any public consultation as they had existing mining rights through some round about way.  The other shocking thing is that the mining company pretty much said to us that it doesn't matter what the people say, the public consultation is really just "ticking a box".  Otherwise why would they be there anyhow?  Because the community has already told them that they do not want any mining on their land and that it isn't negotiable.  The community is almost completely in agreement about this, other than a few people who have been bought off by the mining company. Anyhow, the mining company wont give up, and at the end of the day they don't care about whether the community wants it or not.

Most of these people do not want mining in their community

But what really pisses me off is that they make it sound like these people have to trade their land to get development.  This horrible man stood in front of 400 community members who had come from far and wide to participate in this meeting that had been announced at the last minute and basically said to them - don't you want schools? Don't you want a better road? Don't you want better health care? Don't you want your community to be better?  Well then you should work with us, because that is what we'll bring to you.  It is the government's job to bring development to this rural community NOT a mining company's!  They shouldn't have to trade their land, their way of life and their culture for basic services that the rest of the country gets at no cost.  It is absurd.  Can you tell I am angry?


True sustainable development is working with the community to develop themselves ... but possibly more on that later.